Late blight (晚疫病) is a common disease of plants such as tomatoes and potatoes, capable of wiping out entire crops on commercial-sized fields. If conditions are favorable, it can quickly spread to other plants through wet soil and wind.
In history, late blight caused over 1 million deaths in Ireland. Today it still causes more than 6.7 billion dollars in annual losses worldwide. Small farms and growers are often the hardest hit, many stating losing almost two-thirds of their yearly production, because usually they don’t have money to identify and treat the disease.
But farmers may have a new weapon now. The technology, designed by researchers at North Carolina State University can recognize sick plants early by employing a piece of test paper that plugs into (接入) a reader on a smartphone.
Plants produce signaling chemicals from their leaves. “If a plant is diseased, the type and concentration of these chemicals changes,” said Wei Qingshan, an engineer at North Carolina State University. If the farmer suspects a late blight infection is underway, he can remove a leaf from a living plant and place it in a small, covered glass jar. After the leaf’s volatile (挥发性的) chemicals have accumulated for 15 minutes or so, the cap is removed and the air is pumped from the jar into a reader attached to the back of a smartphone. Inside the smartphone reader is a piece of paper specially treated with dyes (染料) by the researchers. Upon interacting (相互作用) with the plant’s volatile chemicals, the paper changes color to indicate the presence or absence of the late blight.
The researchers hope to tailor the technology for other crop diseases, which continue to appear as climate change and global trade increase the stress on agricultural systems. “This is an important step in the improvement of global food security,” Wei Qingshan said.
1.What are the statistics in Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A.The damage caused by late blight.
B.The money put into late blight treatment.
C.The number of crops in a commercial-sized field.
D.The yearly production of small farms and growers.
2.According to Wei Qingshan, how would a farmer find out if a plant was infected?
A.By treating the plant with special dyes.
B.By putting volatile chemicals on the plant.
C.By testing the air in the jar with a leaf inside.
D.By examining the land with a smartphone reader.
3.What do the researchers expect of their new technology?
A.It’ll reach farmers soon.
B.It’ll get rid of late blight.
C.It’ll be beneficial to the climate.
D.It’ll be able to detect more crop diseases.
4.What is the purpose of this passage?
A.To introduce a test method of late blight.
B.To explain the causes of late blight.
C.To discuss the effects of late blight.
D.To tell the history of late blight.
If you’re looking for European culture, there are few better places to visit than Switzerland. Known as the melting pot of Europe, it combines the cultures of Europe with astonishing beauty and fantastic food.
Switzerland’s culture is a combination of neighboring states: France, Germany, and Italy. The result is a multilingual (多语言的) country, as eastern Switzerland speaks French, the southern part speaks Italian and the rest speaks German.
Like the language, the cuisine is also quite different by region. If you visit cities like Geneva, you’ll find traditional French dishes like fondue and raclette, melted Swiss cheese served over bread or potatoes. Meanwhile, in German-speaking regions, like Zurich, you’ll find Rosti, a typical side dish made from fried potatoes.
However, if there’s one thing that unites the Swiss and the rest of the world, it’s their love of chocolate. Swiss chocolate factories are “the most luxurious in the world”, US travel blogger Sarah Schmalbruch wrote on Business Insider. Famous brands, like Lindt, are based in the country. Visitors to Switzerland can enjoy chocolate tasting sessions, and even take classes from master chocolate makers.
Aside from the wide variety of food on offer, Switzerland also offers thrills. The Swiss Alps offer year-round skiing and mountain climbing with local experts. Besides, you can visit the beautiful Matterhorn, known for its distinctive pyramid shape and snow-capped peak. Standing at a height of more than 4, 400 meters, it is the most pictured mountain in the world, according to Smithsonian magazine.
But if city culture is more your thing, you’ll find a wide range of museums and art galleries, not to mention the world’s largest teddy bear museum in Basel.
Even the largest Swiss cities tend to be laid back (悠闲自在的), but with many adrenaline- pumping (肾上腺素激增的) activities and cultural sites, Switzerland is perfect for every taste. After all, where else in Europe offers you the culture of four different countries?
1.The author presents Switzerland as a multi-cultural country by introducing its _________.
A.languages and food B.architecture and food
C.festivals and architecture D.costumes and festivals
2.Why are Sarah Schmalbruch’s words quoted?
A.To show the history of Swiss chocolates.
B.To prove Swiss chocolates are difficult to make.
C.To show how delicious Swiss chocolates are.
D.To stress the popularity of Swiss chocolates.
3.What can you find in Switzerland?
A.The safest skiing location. B.The most pictured mountain.
C.The largest art gallery. D.The oldest teddy bear museum.
4.Where can we most probably read this text?
A.In a geography textbook. B.In a science report.
C.In a travel magazine. D.In a personal diary.
Australia is no stranger to wildfires. The country’s weather patterns create heat and dryness, which fuel occasional bushfires in a natural cycle. However, one that started last September continues to burn, and it may not be natural at all. Scientists say that man-made climate change has played a role in the fire’s creation and duration.
Peter Gleick, a US climate scientist, told Time, “the extent, the severity, and the intensity of these fires wouldn’t have been so bad without the fingerprints of climate change.”
According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, the country’s temperatures have risen by more than one degree Celsius since 1920. The spring of 2019 was Australia’s driest in 120 years. In December, the country saw its hottest day ever, with an average temperature of 41.9℃.
“Due to enhanced (过度的) evaporation（蒸发）in warmer temperatures, the vegetation and the soils dry out more quickly,” Stefan Rahmstorf, a lead author of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report, told Time.
Worse still, researchers at the UK Bureau of Meteorology believe that wildfires like this might become “normal conditions” in the future, according to the BBC. They looked at 57 research papers published since 2013, which examined the relationship between climate change and the risk of wildfires. They found that the link between the two has already been observed in many parts of the world, including the western US, Canada, southern Europe, and even Scandinavia and Siberia.
“These are impacts we are seeing for one degree of global climate change. The impact will get worse if we don’t do what it takes to make the world’s climate stable,” Corinne Le Quere, a professor from the University of East Anglia in the UK, told the BBC. “What we are seeing in Australia is not the ‘new normal’. It’s a transition(过渡)to worse impacts.”
1.What was the wildfire starting last September related to according to scientists？
A.Air pollution. B.Human activities.
C.Environment changes. D.Natural cycle.
2.What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 2 mean?
A.The meaning of climate change B.The influence of climate change
C.The control of climate change D.The possibility of climate change
3.What happened with the temperature rising in Australia?
A.Plants stayed as lively as usual.
B.Australia never suffered a hot day.
C.The plants and the soils became dry faster.
D.Every season became the driest in the year.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.We might see more wildlife.
B.We were to see less disasters.
C.It could be impossible to see wildfires.
D.It would be more difficult to prevent wildfires.
VOLUNTEERS WANTED
Frankston Beach Patrol Volunteer
Location: Frankston
Beach Patrol volunteers meet twice a month for a 1-hour clean-up, removing litter from Frankston’s beaches for collection by Frankston City Council. Please contact our partner organisation Impact Volunteering for more information and to discuss this opportunity further either over the phone or in person. Phone 03 9770 6492.
Volunteer Book Lovers & Tutors
Location: Maidstone
We are looking for enthusiastic and community-minded people to assist us in our new reading club for primary students, in particular those with reading challenges. As a book lover, you will understand how reading can make a difference. For more information, please call 314 576 3993.
Event Assistant Needed
Location: Boondall
Come and support one or all four days of the National Boccia (硬地滚球) Battle Championships, held at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall. Join all the fun and excitement of this sport, learn a new skill, make new friends while helping the event run smoothly. Please call Susan Solakovic HR, 07 3253 3333.
Clothing and Toy Sorter
Location: Lisarow
Prepare sorted goods for display and sale including pricing where appropriate; willing to take all store duties. This opportunity comes to you via Volunteering Central Coast. Please ring 02 4329 7122 to make a booking for a telephone or face-to-face interview.
1.What do Beach Patrol volunteers usually do?
A.Pick up rubbish on the beach.
B.Meet at the beach once a week.
C.Visit Frankston City Council in person.
D.Provide beach information over the phone.
2.Which place offers opportunities to help students?
A.Frankston. B.Maidstone.
C.Lisarow. D.Boondall.
3.Which number can you call if you’re interested in selling things?
A.03 9770 6492. B.314 576 3993.
C.07 3253 3333. D.02 4329 7122.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Old Man Donovan was a mean man who hated children. He threw rocks at them and even shot at them with a shotgun. At least that’s what we had heard.
His small farm bordered our neighborhood where my younger sister, Leigh Ann, and I lived when we were growing up. His farm was long, narrow, and quaint. It held two treasures. One was his beautiful fruit.
There were many varieties of fruit: pears, apples, and lots more I just can't think of. The fruit naturally drew the children to his land. It made them into thieves. But my sister and I didn't dare to take his fruit because of the horrible rumors we had heard about Old Man Donovan.
One summer day, we were playing in a nearby field. It was time to head back home. My sister and I were feeling very daring that day. There was a short cut to our house that went through the Donovan farm. We thought he wouldn't be able to see us run across his property around the luscious fruit trees. We were almost through the farm when we heard, "Hey, girl!" in a gruff, low voice. We stopped dead in our tracks! There we were, face to face with Old Man Donovan. Our knees were shaking. We had visions of rocks pounding our bodies and bullets piercing our hearts.
"Come here," he said, reaching up to one of his apple trees. Still shaking, we went over to him. He held out several ripe, juicy, red apples. "Take these home,” he commanded. We took the apples with surprised hearts and ran all the way home. Of course, Leigh Ann and I ate the apples.
As time went on, we often went through Old Man Donovan's farm, and he kept on giving us more luscious fruit. One day, we stopped by to see him when he was on his front porch. We talked to him for hours. While he was talking, we realized that we had found the other hidden treasure: the sweet, kind heart hidden behind his gruff voice. Soon, he was one of our favorite people to talk to. Unfortunately, his family never seemed to enjoy our company. They never smiled or welcomed us in.
Paragraph 1:
Every summer, we would visit Mr. Donovan and talk to him.
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Paragraph 2:
The next winter, word got around that Old Man Donovan had died.
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假定你是李华，你的英国朋友 Edward 正在学习汉语，希望你推荐一个适合他学习汉语的网站。请你根据以下内容，给他写一封电子邮件。
1. 推荐网站：www.edchinese.com；
2. 网站内容：
(1)中文情景对话、中国风俗、中文电影、中文歌曲、成语和唐诗等；
(2)有在线教师答疑解惑。
注意：1.词数 80 左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Edward，
I'm more than pleased to know that you are learning Chinese.
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Yours，
Li Hua
